'There is a need for respect of international humanitarian law in Sudan'

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"We call on the international community to remember the millions of Sudanese people who tragically on a daily basis struggle to meet their basic needs," says Adnan Hezam, the spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan.

Hezam made the appeal in an interview with Vatican Radio, while expressing his concern that Sudan, along with Yemen and Syria, tend to be more and more forgotten as the wars in the Holy Land and Ukraine take the world's attention.

Facing one of the world's most catastrophic humanitarian crises, Sudan has been afflicted by a conflict that has left nearly 10 million people displaced, only 20 per cent of healthcare structures functioning, and most of the population, without basic supplies and food.

Nearly 25 million people, that is to say over half of the population, require urgent humanitarian assistance. As more than 17.7 million people across Sudan are going hungry, and, of those, 4.9 million people experiencing critical levels of hunger, fierce fighting has left the country’s vital services extremely fragile. Almost 65% of the population lacks access to health care.

The ICRC, especially in the field of healthcare, facilitating supplies, and helping evacuate many tied up in the conflict, has been on the frontlines working to respond to this urgent crisis.

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Mr. Hezam, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where you are serving, is most certainly among the worst in the world but is so often forgotten... Please share with us your experience.

Now, it's around 14 months since the conflict erupted in the country and unfortunately resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis illustrated by tens of thousands who have been killed or injured, and also mass displacement, as we now talk about more than 10 million people displaced, including millions who fled their homes seeking for safety and shelter in neighbouring countries.

These are catastrophic consequences of the ongoing conflict. As far as how the situation is today, the needs are immense to respond to these crises. To be more precise, today, the country is experiencing a severe shortage of resources, including food and clean water. The healthcare system itself is seriously affected too.

As we speak, around 70% of healthcare facilities in the country are no longer functioning, and those still standing are critically short on supplies and skilled personnel. This is really a source of concern, especially for the wounded and sick in conflict-affected areas. Access to life-saving services and facilities is a challenge, become always harder and harder.

What is your appeal? What must be done to help Sudan?

With this catastrophic situation, the situation is alarming. So the world must remember the tragedy of suffering of Sudanese people and their growing need, amid this escalation of the conflict.

We call on the International Community to keep in mind, the millions of Sudanese people, who on a daily basis, are tragically struggling to meet their basic needs. We ask for further supporting humanitarian organizations working on the ground to respond to these immense and varied needs, in terms of relief, assistance, and protection.

You are there on the ground. Pope Francis so often recalls the forgotten wars and conflicts around the world, and we observe that certain wars and conflicts are always covered in the media, and others less. Sadly, one which we hear little about often is about Sudan, where there is, as you said, this terrible situation of displacement and refugees, and real horrors that have been perpetrated on the people. Could you share, as you are there, some of what you have seen?

We just visited several places for the displaced, and saw that in a classroom, there are more than six families, cooking, sleeping. They do everything in that room, a situation reflective of many of the displaced people. It's really, really hard and worsening because, as you could imagine, with the escalation of the conflict with different fighting in different areas, makes waves of more displacement.

If we go back like just only two months from now, we talk about eight million [people]. Now we talk about more than nine million. So with this evolvement of the situation itself, it has affected a lot of Sudanese.

How so?

If you talk specifically about the healthcare system, only 20% of it is still functioning. Can you imagine how the capacity of this facility can meet and respond to the needs of the entire population of Sudan? The situation itself is challenging as a humanitarian organization.

Since the beginning of the conflict in April last year, the ICRC scaled up its operation to provide protection and assistance. We try to provide, and continue to provide, surgical supplies and medical instruments to the hospitals that are still functioning, to sustain the lives of hundreds of injured people and patients. With our intervention, with our response, we try as much as we can, in cooperation with the Sudanese Red Crescent, especially in this environment, to provide food and non-food items, to attempt to meet their basic needs on a daily basis.

However, if we look at the number and the scope of the impact, there is a need for a massive response. One of the challenges facing us on the ground is not having access. So the ICRC, since the eruption of this conflict, is calling all the parties involved in the conflict to provide us and other organizations access to reach conflict-affected areas. Because without that, we cannot do our humanitarian mission.

Mass displacement in Sudan

And who needs to provide you that access? Who were you appealing to specifically?

We are asking to have that access. When we get it. Could you imagine, it's already more than one year since the start of the conflict that we have managed with this little access, to help some two million Sudanese to have clean water. It is a challenge, but we are hopeful, that our call will be listened to and we will be granted more access to the affected population, especially in Al-fashir, Khartoum or Wad Madani, which at this moment is witnessing increased fighting. It is a critical time to regain access.

Is there something that can be done to address the lack of food, the starvation that so many people in Sudan are experiencing and so many children are suffering?

Yes. One of the key issues is there is a need for respect of international humanitarian law, and this is an important part of our call: to keep reminding these bodies of their obligation under international humanitarian law.  This is their responsibility to ensure that people living in their territory, under their control, can meet essential needs, including possessing an adequate supply of food and water, and ensuring there is unobstructed access to lifesaving aid.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

As a humanitarian worker, I hope Sudan will not be forgotten. Because it is forgotten. The people, now, need an embrace in the form of assistance and of support. Hopefully, the International Community can provide more support, to respond to this crisis. I appreciate any media platforms who have concern for and dedicate their attention to South Sudan, especially as most media outlets have shifted their focus to either Gaza or to Ukraine, and, thus, the crises in Sudan and in other areas, like Yemen and Syria, is being forgotten nowadays, unfortunately.

Humanitarian crisis in Sudan